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Lots to do in Ohio that's new: Kings Island's Banshee coaster, a Lorain County canopy tour, and wine-tasting center in Geneva

banshee.jpg

Kings Island's new Banshee roller coaster, the world's longest inverted coaster, takes a test run a few days before its public debut. The Cincinnati-area park opens to the public on Friday, April 18.
(Kings Island)

Tourists who want to try something new
this summer won't have to travel far.

Dozens of vacation destinations in Ohio
are debuting new attractions this spring and summer, from a new Great Lakes
museum in Toledo to the world's longest inverted roller coaster in Cincinnati.

Here's what we have to look forward to:

Banshee
at Kings Island, Mason: At 4,124 feet long, Banshee will be
the longest inverted roller coaster in the world (334 feet longer than Cedar
Point's Raptor, for those keeping track). The new coaster, with seven
inversions and a top speed of 68 mph, debuts Friday at the Cincinnati-area park.
For hours, prices and more: visitkingsisland.com

Pipe
Scream at Cedar Point, Sandusky: Cedar Point debuted
its record-breaking coaster, GateKeeper, last year. This year, the park is
adding two new family rides to its revamped Gemini Midway: Pipe Scream, which
features a rotating gondola on a coaster-like track, and Lake Erie Eagles, with
eight individual "eaglets" soaring and spinning through the air. Later in the
summer, the park will add another scream machine: SlingShot, where riders, two
to a capsule, will be launched 360 feet into the air. Cedar Point opens for the
season on May 10.

Zip
line at The Beach Waterpark, Mason: Across I-71 from
Kings Island, The Beach is making some waves above its massive wave pool. The
Beach is adding a 600-foot-long, two-person zip line over the Big Surf wave
pool. Also new: a 400-foot-long, four-lane mat racer ride. (And, if you're really
into planning ahead, the park plans to add a winter tubing park come November.)
The Beach opens May 17.

Canopy
tour in Oberlin: The high-adrenaline adventure sport of
zip lining is coming to Lorain County. Common Ground, a 21-acre outdoor
education and retreat center in Oberlin, plans to debut a 2½ hour canopy tour
adventure in early June. The course will feature eight zip lines, two aerial
bridges, 12 platforms in the trees and two spiral staircases.

Penguins
at the Toledo Zoo: The zoo's 18 penguins are getting a
new place to play. Penguin Beach, which debuts May 23, will feature a gentle
wave pool, a waterfall and stream, plus underwater viewing for visitors. The
new exhibit is part of a larger remodel of the zoo's historic aquarium, which
won't be finished until next year.

Giraffes at the Columbus Zoo: Heart of Africa, a 43-acre
safari-themed addition to the zoo, includes more than 100 new animals and a
dozen species. Among the newcomers: giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and gazelles.
(The zoo hasn't had giraffes or zebras since its Asia Quest exhibit debuted in
2006.) The exhibit will feature several close encounters, including
opportunities to feed a giraffe, ride a camel and observe animals at a watering
hole. The new space also includes a village marketplace and restaurant. Heart
of Africa opens in late spring.

More
Africa at the Cincinnati Zoo: The Cincinnati Zoo
is adding more animals to its new Africa exhibit, which has debuted in stages
over the past several years. New this year: an African wild dog area, plus
impalas, gazelles, ostriches and more. The new animals debut on June 28.

Great
Lakes museum in Toledo: The National Museum of the Great Lakes
opens Saturday, April 26, on the Maumee River not far from the Lake Erie shore.
The museum, operated by the Great Lakes Historical Society, is relocating – and
expanding – from its previous location in Vermilion. Exhibits showcase the
lakes' role in industry, war, exploration and the environment. The museum's
ship, the S.S. Col James M. Schoonmaker, opens for tours in May.

Diana
in Cincinnati: The Cincinnati Museum Center is the
last stop for "Diana, A Celebration," which has been on a worldwide for more
than 10 years. The exhibit features nine galleries and more than 150 treasures,
including the princess's royal wedding gown, 28 designer dresses, two tiaras, home
movies, photos, mementoes and more. The exhibit closes Aug. 17, when it will
return to England.

A
shuttle trainer in Dayton: The National Museum of the U.S. Air
Force was unsuccessful in its bid for one of NASA's retiring space shuttles
(awarded to museums in Florida, California, New York and Virginia). Dayton instead
received a crew compartment trainer – where shuttle astronauts trained. The
trainer has been incorporated into a full-size shuttle exhibit that guests can
climb aboard.

Cooking
classes and wine tasting in Geneva:Windows on Pairings,
a center for culinary classes, wine tastings, educational and special events,
will open in May in a renovated barn in downtown Geneva, the heart of Northeast
Ohio's wine country. The first phase of a larger campus of wine-related
attractions, Windows will also feature a concierge who can plan wine tours and
overnight stays.

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